


Hufflepuff Babes

by shanerenny



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fanfiction, Gen, Hogwarts, Original Character(s), Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27142388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanerenny/pseuds/shanerenny
Summary: This is just a story I'm writing for me and my two friends. We are all trying to shift into Hogwarts.
Relationships: Original Male Character/ Original Male Character, original female character/ original male character





	Hufflepuff Babes

It was a warm summer afternoon. The hot breeze blew through the air, cicada's buzzed in a drone; and overall it was quite an air of lethargy hanging about. And it just so happened to be the perfect afternoon for Shane to lay in a field and play with the grass. He was currently on his back, the breeze stirring his hair, as he created a crown of white wildflowers. He had already made three other flower crowns, one was white like the one he made now, but the other two were blue and purple.

He tied the last of the flowers together, finishing the crown with an exhale. He pushed himself onto his elbows and looked around the calm field. A dragonfly buzzed in front of his face and landed on a rock next to him. He reached out a finger to it before it flew away. He sighed and flopped back onto his back. He was too sad today to focus on the flower crowns. He didn't want to leave his family tomorrow, but more importantly he didn't want to leave his schoolmates. He had known them his whole life, and he didn't want to go to a new school. He and his best mate Joshua had been in the same class since he could remember, and yesterday was the last day he would see him until next holiday. He closed his eyes and let the orange light dance around.

Shane wanted to finish the flower crowns and head back home but he found himself trapped looking at the orange swirling light in his eyelids. This past week had gone by so fastly and he was very tired. He had gotten his new supplies list and books he needed for his new classes, and his mother had rushed him off to Diagon Alley all the way in London. That was a very hectic day. He, his parents, and his brother had met his grandparents there, and it was all very overwhelming. They had rushed him through bookstores and supply shops and potions stores and to fittings and to a bank run by goblins; but all Shane wanted to do was go to the candy shop. By the end of the day they couldn't see where they were walking behind the stacks of cauldrons and vials and books and clothes. His grandfather had pulled out a wand and with a single flick it had all disappeared from their hands, awaiting them in a neat stack at home. His grandfather was always a genius like that. Shane was so relieved to be able to stretch, but before he could his grandfather had put a hand on his shoulder and whisked him away. He led him to a shop that he heard before he saw. Inside there were shelves all the way to the three story ceiling packed with cages of small animals. It was dark and dusty and noisy in there but Shane couldn't keep still. He ran from shelf to shelf looking at owls and cats and small rats and other animals he had never seen before.

He was ogling a cage with a small ferret in it when his grandfather put his hand on his shoulder.

"Do you like it?" his grandfather asked in his soft, raspy voice.

Shane smiled and nodded, putting a finger through the bars to let the ferret sniff.

"Do you want him?"

Shane stopped and turned around, looking at his grandfather in disbelief. "I-..." He didn't know what to say. They already had a cat at home. The cat was old but he was well trained, his mum didn't want any more pets. Shane sighed and looked down. "No, it's okay. I have Twinkle at home."

His grandfather chuckled, squeezing his shoulder." You aren't taking that blasted cat to school." He smiled a warm, wrinkly smile at Shane, then gave a mischievous look around the shop. "The thing is too old to leave home." He looked back at Shane with a smirk. "I don't care what your mother says, she doesn't always know what's best for you."

Shane giggled nervously. He looked back at the ferret, rolling around in the cage rather adorably.

"If you like the ferret, get it!" His grandfather turned around and gestured grandly. "Or any pet here. It's my special gift for you. Your grandmother got you those nice scales. Let me get you something."

Shane ran around and asked the shop owner many questions. He eventually ended up staring at a very large and very curious grey owl with yellow eyes and that appeared to have a white handlebar mustache under his short beak. He and another boy were excitedly poking their fingers through the cage as the owl nibbled on them softly.

"Ah, a Great Grey Owl... the muggles call it Strix nebulosa," the shop owner said behind them. "The largest of the grey owls, and also the most intelligent." The bird looked at Shane, nibbling his finger again before hooting softly. "He likes you, boy."

So Shane had left with a cage that went up to his waist with his new pet owl, and was absolutely as happy as he could be. Maybe going to Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad...

A blur of black fluttered across the orange of his eyelids, and then a weird tickle made Shane open his eyes. The dragonfly had returned, and had landed on his nose. He giggled and shook it off. The flower crowns fell from his lap as he sat back up. He looked around the flowering field, the sun setting behind the distant treeline of his yard, casting long shadows towards him. He gave a sigh again before gathering his flower crowns in his book bag, and yanking up a hand full of more white flowers, setting off towards home.

He tied the last two flowers together before opening the back door to his kitchen, where his mother and grandmother were scurrying about, hurriedly preparing his going away dinner. His mother turned around and gave an excited gasp towards him. "Ah, hun, you're home! Oh, you're covered in dirt." She stepped towards him with a washcloth.

Shane ducked out of the way. "Mom, stop." He laughed, putting his bag and the flower crown down on the counter. "I can clean myself up."

She smirked, tossing the towel at him and returning to cooking. "Well hurry up, honey. Food's almost ready!"

His grandmother gave a smile to him as she passed with a large plate of sandwiches towards the door. "Darlin', won't you help me set the table when you've washed up?" She pushed the door to the backyard open with her foot, looking over her shoulder at him as she walked by. "That's a good lad."

...

Shane watched the wallpaper of his room on his bed. It was his favorite thing about his room in the attic. Well, it was his second favorite thing about his room in the attic. His first favorite thing was his bed, which was very comfy and plush. He had taken special care over the years to find the most comfortable blankets in the house and had made a big, soft pile to sleep in. His mum called it his nest, and he quite liked that title, because most days he woke up buried deep within the pile. But the wallpaper was very close behind the bed, and he stared at it sadly today, realizing only now how much he was going to miss it. His mum and father had had it special made when he was a baby. All around him were trees that had slowly grown as he had, starting as cute saplings. Each winter the branches would ice over and glisten, each spring they would flower, and each autumn the leaves would fall and wistfully swirl about the room. He watched from his bed as the orange and yellow leaves blew around as if a wind was pushing them, and he was very sad again. He looked at the floor...the chilly wooden floor that he would also miss. He would miss putting on his slippers in the winter and scampering down the stairs to the kitchen for hot chocolate. He would miss playing games with his brother and parents in this room. He would miss how his mother would wake him for school each morning by petting him awake. His room was his special place. His schoolmates were not allowed up there. No one in the town knew they were magic, no one except his grandparents. And Joshua... he had an aunt from Liverpool who was a witch, but neither of his parents were magic. And when Shane had found out he was going to Hogwarts, he was so very excited to go with Joshua, but when he ran over to his house and knocked excitedly on his door, Joshua was very confused by what he said. And eventually Joshua was very sad by what he said. Joshua was not going to Hogwarts with Shane. Joshua was not magical like Shane, only his aunt that lived in Liverpool was magical. And now Shane sat alone in his room, sitting on his bed, staring at the leaves falling from the magic trees on his wallpaper; and he tried not to cry. He tried not to cry because he already missed his best mate so much that he felt a knot in his chest.

There was a little knock at his door, and then it creaked open. "Heya... grandma wants us to help set the tables," his younger brother said quietly.

Shane pushed himself off his bed. He walked to the door, but stopped to stare his brother down.

Toby raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk. "I'm not gonna be in your room, bloody hell! I've already said that!" He laughed incredulously at Shane. "I'm serious, mate. Why do I want to come into your room anyways?!" He laughed and pushed Shane. "It smells like the cat in here!"

Shane laughed and pushed his brother back. "No it does not smell like the cat! My room smells fine."

Shane watched his brother wander over to his bed and bend over to pet the old cat. It picked up its head to softly mew at him as he scratched behind its ears. "You better be serious. I told mum to hide my gobstones while I'm gone, and I'm taking my cards with me."

Toby scuffed and walked back to the door. "Oh my god, I'm not a kid anymore. You're the only one who cares about Gobstones anyways. It's so lame!' He rolled his eyes and ran out the door, down the stairs.

Shane chased after him. "Hey! They are not lame!" He chased him down the stairs and to the hallway that led into the sitting room. He reached out and almost grabbed the back of his shirt before he ran around the couch. They squared off on either side of their sleeping father, who snored underneath the newspaper covering his face.

"It is so lame, you nerd," Toby laughed, flashing his teeth in a mischievous smile.

Shane growled at him before running around the couch, but his brother was much more fast and quickly circled to the back of the couch. Their father gave a grunt under his breath, his snore catching in his throat before he huffed, fluttering the newspaper. Toby squared up to Shane, feigning left and right, mirroring Shane's moves.

Shane grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at Toby, who caught it deftly and chucked it back. Shane knocked it out of the way and jumped onto the couch. "You're a freaking nerd, you nerd!" he yelled, vaulting over the couch. But his brother was much quicker and was already back on the other side of the couch.

Their father gave a start, his snore catching again, and he sat upright very quickly. He looked at the two boys confused for a moment before ducking from a pillow flying across the room. "HEY! No throwing pillows around. You'll knock over my tea!" He folded the paper and set it on the couch beside him. "Shouldn't you two be helping your mother with dinner or something?" He stood and pushed them out the door and into the dining room.

"We weren't even doing anything!" they both yelled.

"Not doing anything," their father sneered, "except knocking newspapers out of my hand, mid- read, mind you." He scuffed with a smirk and gave them a push towards the kitchen. "Off you go, crazy kids. Go do something productive then..."

He turned back to the couch to read his paper again, muttering under his breath. "Instead of running around like two maddened goblins... interrupting my reading..."

Into the kitchen they went to help their mother. "Ah boys, yes here- grab this love. Yes, off you go. And you take this, yes... TWO HANDS, LOVELY! You'll spill it everywhere." She ushered them out the door and down the steps into the backyard. "And yes, right there, please. Help your grandmother with the silverware. And you, right here. Oh, softly! You can't just thump it down like that!" She laughed and helped Shane set the heavy pot onto the table. He spun around, looking at the backyard, which was being transformed into the most magical summer dinner. The sky had lightened into a pale purple that cast a soft light on everything. The grass was a light blue in this lighting, the white table flickering orange under the lights of floating candles that his grandfather was busy enchanting to float around in a whimsical circle.

He walked over to his grandfather, busy talking to his brother. "Dear boy, there is no time right now to play the floaty game. I must focus!" He doubled over with laughter as Toby began to tickle his stomach.

"No! Let's play the floaty game!"

They all laughed until finally their grandfather stood upright again. "Okay! Okay, okay- mercy!" he laughed. "Fine- we will play the floaty game if you let me go! Quickly now, dinner's almost ready."

Shane skipped over next to his brother, who giggling, shoved him away. "No, no, me first! Me first!" Their grandfather readied himself, pulling at his suspenders under his jacket, and with a huff swished his wand- "Levicorpus!" he boomed in his raspy voice. Shane laughed as his brother slowly rose into the air, losing his balance and tipping over. Yet he didn't fall over, instead floating in the air, bobbing around with his head down and his rear up, as if suspended by an invisible cord attached at his waist. Toby laughed and hollered before he was lowered down and then Shane felt the pull at his waist as his grandfather aimed the magic at him.

The boys and the grandfather laughed and hollered until a voice called out for them to come to the table. As the spell ended and Shane toppled onto the grass, he saw his father walking outside. He hiccupped in between his giggles, getting up to run to his father. He grabbed his arm, pulling him quicker to the table. "Sit next to me, okay?"

His father tousled his hair. "Of course! Who else would I want to sit next to?" He faked a sick face and gestured out to the rest of the family. "I don't even know these people."

Shane laughed and sat, pushing the seat next to him out for his dad. His father walked over, reaching out and taking his mum's hand. 'It looked amazing. You've really outdone yourself this time," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

"You say that every meal, Harold," she said with a playful eye roll, but Shane saw her cheeks warm with blush.

"Oh, do I," his father said, turning to sit down in his readied seat. He turned to face Shane, "Well, that's only because you outdo yourself every single time." He smirked and tapped the tip of Shane's nose. "Now where are the potatoes?!"

"Not yet. Mother is sat yet," his mother retorted, with a smack to the outreached hand.

They all ate and talked and laughed at the outdoor table, the candles light growing more bright as the sun slowly set. Quite a few times Toby spit out his drink in laughter , but only due to their grandfather's amazing ability to look like a walrus with two green beans sticking out from his top lip. He was scolded by their grandmother for playing with his food, but she always laughed every time. His father excitedly discussed his plans for the sitting room, which he was busy preparing for a remodel this winter. His mother and grandmother told stories of other family members and the recipes they had gotten from each of them. After they were stuffed and couldn't even think of anything else to talk about, they sat back in their chairs and all looked at the twinkling stairs overhead in the night sky. Shane pulled his feet up into the chair and leaned over onto his father's shoulder. The cold summer night had sent a chill over him.

"Oh dear," his grandmother suddenly looked up."The Everbelle's want to meet up with us tomorrow at the station. I forgot to mention that."

"Oh, yes. That will work out well for us. Their youngest is starting his first year too, dear." She finished the sentence with a raised eyebrow at Shane.

He twisted his face in distaste. "Ew, Chance is going too?"

His mother tutted. "Oh, now stop that. Chance is your good friend. You two get along quite well."

Shane rolled his eyes. "Ugh, mum, we haven't even hung out in years. The last time we hung out was for that play at school."

"Well, even so, you're going to be nice to him, aren't you? He will need a friend, just like you." She scowled at him, speaking in a stern tone.

Shane exhaled. "But he picks his nose... everyone knows that," he mumbled under his breath.

His mother suddenly looked at him very cross. "Young man, I expect you to be nice to him, no matter what. Am I clear?"

Shane was suddenly very embarrassed. Everything was quiet now, apart from the chirping of crickets in the grass. He looked up at his dad, who raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Your mother is right. We raised you better than that son."

Shane sighed shakily, cheeks very warm. "Oh, alright..." He looked up to his mom.

"Excuse me?"

"Um, sorry. Yes ma'am."

She held eye contact for a few seconds before she let out a smile. "Alright. Thank you. Now," she stood up, gathering up her dishes. "Let's go inside for dessert!"

...

It was very late and Shane was very tired. He laid curled up on the couch, his head on his father's lap, fighting off the urge to sleep. They had had such a delicious chocolate cake, his favorite food in the world, and had gathered around in the sitting room to talk and laugh and have fun. Toby had gone to bed sometime earlier that night, and Shane was quickly becoming very jealous. But he didn't want to go to bed yet. He was quite enjoying the story his grandmother was telling about when he was a baby. Everyone was laughing at it, and so Shane was happy. He gave a shaky inhale, as he reopened his heavy eyes again.

His mother smiled at him. "Why don't we turn out for the night then?"

Shane pouted at his mother, but when she got up, folding the blanket on her lap to lay on her chair and walked over to him with an open hand, he took it and let her walk him upstairs. He gave his father a hug goodnight. He gave his grandmother a kiss goodnight, and she squeezed his hand in hers. He held onto his grandfather extra long, squeezing him as tight as he could. "Easy now, lad. I'm too old to be squeezed that tight." Shane stuck his tongue out to him, and then he let his mother walk him upstairs.

"You'll see them all tomorrow morning, honey," she whispered, tucking him in. She fussed with his blankets. "Oh, honey, which blanket do you want to take with you?"

He looked at her sadly. "I don't want to go anymore, mum. Can't I just stay here?"

She looked at him with a look he didn't quite understand. "Oh, honey. No, my dear. You have to go. But you'll have so much fun, I promise you. We will write to each other every single day if you want!" She gave his cheek a pinch, before grabbing his face and holding it. "I know you're nervous. But I promise you it will all be fine."

Shane looked away from her, at the door. He felt so sad, and he felt so lonely already. He exhaled slowly.

"I was very scared on my first day too, you know?" She grabbed his chin to make him look back to her.

"I'm not scared."

She laughed very softly. "Well, even so, I promise you it's going to be okay. Hogwarts is so special. You'll make friends, honey. Friends like you, and you'll learn magic!"

He smiled suddenly.

"I met my best friend ever at Hogwarts."

"Yeah?... who's that?"

"Well, it's your father."

Shane groaned and rolled over. "Mum, that doesn't count! You got married!"

"Well, it's a good thing I married her and not Thomas," his father said, ducking into the room. He gave a laugh at the face she made to him.

"Wait, who's Thomas?" Shane said, confused.

His mother put her hand over his mouth, giving his father a scolding look. "He is nobody, honey. Nobody you need to hear about, thank you Benjamin!" She gave an incredulous laugh, smacking his father's arm with her other hand.

"What! No! Who is Thomas?" he muffled under her hand, grabbing it to pull it off. But she rounded on him and tickled him on his sides. He let go, laughing, begging her to stop. He was laughing so hard one moment, but then the next he started crying. And he didn't know why.

"Oh no, what is it, honey?" she pulled him up and cradled him. But he didn't answer, he just cried quietly into her arm.

His father sat down next to his mom, by his feet, and rubbed his leg. "You know, son, I was the first person in my family to go to Hogwarts. My dad wasn't like me, he didn't have magic. My mum thought maybe I got it from someone in her family. And you know when I went, I was so, so scared to go. I didn't want to leave home... I didn't want to leave my parents. I was so scared that I wouldn't ever hear from them and that I would be all alone. But they wrote to me every single day." He squeezed Shane's leg. "And when I got into class and started learning and making friends, I almost didn't even have time to to write back." He laughed. "In fact, my mum was very cross with me when I didn't write back for a whole week!"

"I wouldn't forget to write back, dad," Shane said quietly.

"Oh no, of course not. I'm not saying that, sweetheart." Shane felt his dad scoot forward to rub his back. "No, I'm just telling you that I was fine. And your mother was fine too. It's okay to miss your family, but we aren't going to forget about you. We would never do that."

Shane didn't answer for a minute, but when he did he began to cry harder. He lifted his head up and looked at his parents. "But what about grandma? What if I don't ever see them again?" He couldn't stop crying now. He was so worried something would happen to them while he was away.

His mother grabbed both his arms softly. "Oh, honey. No! No, nothing is going to happen to them while you're gone. No, no, no."

"Shane," his father said, grabbing his cheek. "They are both very healthy. And they aren't even that old, sweetheart. They will be fine. And they will write to you every day, I'm sure. I bet you anything your grandmother will be the one to make us all remember to write to you! She would knock a pan over my head if i forgot to write!"

Shane laughed, and he looked at his dad smiling and laughing, and it made him feel better. "Yeah?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

...

Wake up...

Wake up...

The turtle floated further away from him, whispering the phrase as it swam away.

"Wake up, honey..."

The salt water rocked him softly, and suddenly his eyes opened. The turtle was gone. Everything was red... or orange? Shane rubbed his eyes. It was his blanket. He rolled over. His mum was sitting next to him, hair slightly curled. She smiled at him, brushing her finger over his shoulder. "Good morning, honey."

He smiled at her, closing his eyes again. "I like your shirt. It's really fancy." He snorted.

"Oh this? Oh, it isn't that nice." She laughed, squeezing his arm. "Why don't you start getting up. We've got a busy day, hun."

Shane huffed loudly, but he opened his eyes.

"Oh, not those terrible puppy eyes. Be still my heart!" She leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Get up, before I die of cuteness," she said with a laugh, getting up and heading to the door. She stopped and turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm serious. If I come back up here and you're still in bed, I'm gonna throw you out that window."

Shane laughed and rolled his eyes."Mum, I'm up. Look!"

No matter how many times he rubbed his eyes and washed his face, he was so incredibly tired. It was like the first day of school...

Oh... well...

His mum hadn't pulled out his clothes for him. He sighed, shuffling through his draws.

"UGH, Dad! What do I wear?!" he shouted out into the room. "DAD!"

"What?" It was down from somewhere downstairs.

"What do i wear?!"

...

"DAD?!"

"Oh goodness, I don't know." This time it was from the base of the stairs. "Whatever you like I suppose!"

Shane huffed. That was not an answer.

"Your mom says something nice you can put your robes over!"

He rolled his eyes again. Ugh, what to wear.

He decided on a nice grey button up shirt and black jeans. His nicest trainers were already packed, so he wore his play ones. He looked in the bathroom mirror. His curly blonde hair dripped from the shower. Brown eyes and a nice jawline for his age looked back at him. He had always been slightly skinny for his age, but he wasn't drastically underweight or anything. He always ate as much as anyone else, but just never gained weight. But he liked being shorter and thinner than most boys his age. It made him the fastest in his grade. He made a face in the mirror, furrowing his thick eyebrows and pouting his lip.

He sighed... What if no one liked him?

Ugh, am I overdressed?

He took the button up off and changed it for a purple and white striped polo. It would be warm because it was long sleeved and thick. He unbuttoned the three buttons at the neck. He looked back in the mirror. Much better... He thought he looked like a rugby player. But... he buttoned the bottom button back up. He didn't want to look like he was trying too hard.

He could smell breakfast before he got down the stairs, but he couldn't enjoy the smell for too long. His mum came speeding around the corner. "Oh, thank you for getting up, dear." There was a quick kiss on the forehead before she went for the stairs.

"Mum, does this look okay?"

She spun back around. "Oh, yes, honey. Oh well, where are your other trainers? Those are all muddy."

"I packed them..."

She tutted, looking around the room. "Oh, no bother." She pulled out her wand and with a swish, the dirt disappeared from his shoes, leaving them as if brand new. "Honey, your hair is a mess." She stepped back towards him to mess with it, but he ducked away and towards the door.

"It's fine! It will dry." He laughed and ducked through the door. Everyone was shuffling around hurriedly. His grandmother was popping eggs and toast onto plates, as a pitcher of orange juice floated in the air over a cup, slowly pouring itself in a neat stream.

"Dear, please just eat quickly. We've got to be off in an hour. Oh, Shane! Quick, come sit. I've got eggs and toast, dearest. Unless you want some fruit, I can make that. Are you sure it's fine, dear? No, not you, Harold. I know you'll eat what I put in front of you... Well you have for forty years so I don't think we'll change that today, will we? Toby, eat your toast while it's warm. Oh, Shane, dear, don't encourage him. Harold, stop behaving like a child and you all just eat please."

She sat down next to Shane, pointing to his food. "Quickly now..."

His mum walked into the kitchen, folding a blanket. "Shane, this one or the orange and red quilt? Are you sure? Well, the quilt is probably warmer, you're right."

Shane looked over at his grandfather with a smirk, who wiggled his mustache back at him. "Is Strix all packed up, boy? And you packed his food in your book bag, right? Not the suitcase? Good, good. Don't let that bird out of the train, now... Well, Ellianna, I'm just trying to help the boy. I'm eatin', I'm eatin'!" His grandfather smiled at him, leaning close to his ear. "She's the only one bent outta shape. Well, I figure you did hear that then, darling."

Shane smirked and stuffed the last piece of toast into his mouth.

"Honey, you have your robes in your suitcase, right?!" his mom shouted from the stairs. Shane walked out to the hallways.

"Yep!"

"Not the one being packed, the one you're taking on the train with you- right?!"

"Yes ma'am!" he shouted, running up the stairs back to his room.

The morning swept by and before Shane knew it, they were all being ushered out the door, all hands carrying something large and heavy or hooting.

"Quickly, now. Everyone- into the car. Shane, you first, dearest. Don't you worry, your father's packing the trunk. That's it. Now Toby, hand him the bird. Oh me! Oh my goodness, how did you bump your head that hard? Are you alright? Very good."

They were soon all six packed into the car. It was a special car from the Ministry, sent out just to get families to King's Crossing Station. Shane smiled across at his mum as she brushed off the shoulders of her blazer jacket.

"I told you it was fancy."

She smirked up at him with a wink. The car began to pull out of the long gravel driveway, and Shane watched in melancholy as his home slowly drew further away. He wouldn't be seeing his school friends every day anymore. He wouldn't get to walk home after school, to the smell of dinner. He wouldn't get to chase his brother around in the field playing tag until next holiday. He looked over at his brother, sat next to his mum across from him. He was staring out of the window quietly. He really hoped Toby would let Whiskers sleep in his room with him. Whiskers had slept in Shane's bed every night since they had found him in that barn.

A rowdy ruffle of feathers clanged against the metal cage in his grandfather's lap. Shane leaned over and stuck a finger through the bars for Strix to nibble. The owl was always soft with Shane, since he had gotten him. Shane smiled, cooing at the owl. He really liked it...

Shane gasped! "WHISKERS!" he screamed, looking up at his mom in shock.

"What do you mean?" she gasped- hand over her heart.

"I forgot to say goodbye!" Shane looked back at the house, slowly growing smaller behind them as they drove away. Strix was banging around in his cage again, ignoring his grandfather's attempts to calm him.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. But we can't turn around." She leaned over to grab his knee with a squeeze. "Don't worry, I promise I'll tell him when we get back." She gave him a reassuring smile before he looked away, watching the house disappear behind a tree.

But Shane didn't feel any better...

King's Cross Station was crowded with people that pushed past his family as they settled everything into a trolley. His grandfather was pulling a blanket over Strix's cage, but it didn't calm the agitated cries from the bird. Shane looked nervously over to the Muggle family staring at them.

"A little help with the owl, please?" his grandfather whispered over. Shane turned around and stuck his head under the sheet. Strix screeched at him, biting at the wire cage with a flurry of his wings.

"You've got to stop, please. People are looking at us... really. I'm serious." He pulled out a treat from his pocket and pushed it through the bars. Strix hooted, tilting his head at Shane. "I'll let you out when we're on the train, I promise." He whispered the last part before coming out from under the blanket, patting the cage softly.

His mother turned back around, grabbing his shoulders. "Well, are we all set?"

"Better be," his dad whispered. "That owl is gonna get us kicked out."

Platform 9 ¾ had a great group of awaiting magical families around it, but a passerby would be none the wiser. A plump woman had bent down to tie her son's shoelace, but she had forgotten to actually tie the laces. One family was in a circle looking down at a paper map, but the map was of the New York Subway. Shane watched as a taller boy with dark, curly hair walked his trolley sideways until he was right against the brick wall, and with one more step he vanished from thin air. Shane gasped, pulling his grandmother's sleeve, pointing over. She grabbed his hand and pushed it down, whispering in his ear. "It's rude to point, dear." They were currently all facing a mural of the train station layout, with many other people. Shane could tell who was awaiting the same platform as them and who wasn't. It was easy to spot if you knew what to look for; the tall man with a young girl cradling a cat next to him, the shirt with a Quidditch team on the back, the doting mother who had forgotten her wand tucked into her bun.

"We'll be going soon, sweetheart," his dad whispered in his ear. Shane suddenly felt very nervous. He stared at the ground intently, listening to his father's words. "All you have to do is jog straight to the wall, don't stop. No one will notice you unless you stop. I'll be right behind you, right at your heels, okay?" Shane nodded quietly, but felt very sick in his stomach. He knew he wouldn't crash, he grew up listening to his family's stories about Hogwarts, but he was still so sure he knew exactly what it felt like to run nose first into that brick wall. He looked under his father's arm at the wall as the plump woman stood up from pretending to tie her son's shoe lace, and with a pat of the shoulder, he turned around and jogged at the wall, disappearing from sight. She took a quick glance around and followed behind him. Shane felt his father squeeze his shoulder. He pulled the trolley away from the group with a few steps backwards, and looked at his father in anticipation.

"Follow just a few minutes right behind us, alright?" his father whispered to the family. He turned away from the wall, and smiled big at Shane. He grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face the wall about thirty meters away. "I'll count down from three, and when I say go, you start running. Not too fast, just a light jog- like you're going to get the mail but it's nippy out." Shane could hear his father laugh at his own joke. "I'll be right behind you, so don't stop, and keep going a little when you get through, or your grandfather may run us down like a great oaf." Shane laughed nervously, looking over his shoulder up to his dad. His dad looked down, winked, and looked back up. "Alright, now's our turn. Get ready."

Shane inhaled and held his breath in anticipation. He grabbed the trolley as tightly as he could to stop his hands from shaking.

"Alright, here we go, pal." His father squeezed his shoulders, leaning down to whisper into his ear. "Three... two... one... GO!"

Shane took off before he could think. His feet were moving even though his eyes were half closed. The wall descended upon him, and he squeezed his eyes shut before he felt a slight trickle go through his whole body, like he has just ran through a sprinkler. But when he opened his eyes, jogging to a stop, he was completely dry.

The low din of the train station was suddenly replaced by the rumbling sea of people, all running around- shouting and chasing each other, around the platform of a giant scarlet train. Shane looked around, spinning in a circle as a small group of pigeons flew above him, over the bright red train, and out of sight onto the other side.

"That's the Hogwarts Express, sweetheart," his father called out, gesturing over. "Just like your books!"

Soon the rest of his family came jogging through the platform wall to join them.

"Let's go find you a compartment, honey!" His mom gestured behind him with a smile.

Soon Shane found an empty compartment and quickly threw his suitcase into the overhead shelf. His mother had taken his other suitcase to be packed away in the storage cart. He pulled the blanket off of Strix's cage, leaning down to whisper to the owl. "I'll be right back. I've got to go say goodbye." He looked up, out the window, where his mother was walking back to join his family. He looked back down at Strix, and suddenly his nostrils burned. He squatted down next to the birdcage, clenching his jaw. The bird tilted its head, giving a soft coo. A group of voices whisked behind him, past his compartment, busy to find their own. Shane wiped his eyes, speaking softly through a scratchy throat. "It's just gonna be me and you now, Strix. We got to take care of each other, okay?" The bird hooted, closing its eyes and gave a little ruffle of its feathers. Shane smiled a little, watching the owl pick at its feathers. He stood back up, giving the cage a light tap, and walked back out to his family.

His brother was tugging on his grandfather's sleeve, pointing to a family that walked by with a ferret standing on a girl's head. Shane watched as a different family walked by, the other direction, each of the three kids pushing a trolley in front of them. They pushed around a man who was squatting in front of a young girl. Shane recognized her as the girl with the cat. He saw two pairs of yellow eyes poking out from under her hair. Shane looked away quickly when he realized she was crying.

His mum squatted down next to him, straightening the collar of his shirt. "Everything packed up then, honey?"

He nodded with a soft smile. But he looked down at the ground to avoid her eyes. He didn't want to look at her right now, it made him feel incredibly lonely. She gave a tut and pushed his chin up. "Look at me. You can't keep doing that, love." She grabbed both sides of his face and held it softly, looking him deep into his eyes. "No matter how you feel, darling, you can't look down like that. You look at the world with your head high, and everyone will see how brave you are. Do you hear me?"

He stared at her and finally nodded, setting a determined look on his face.

"I know sometimes you hate looking at people in their eyes, but you've got to now- especially to your professors. They don't know you like we do, and I know you aren't doing it to be rude, but who knows how they will respond. So you got to look everyone in their eyes when they talk to you, okay?"

He glanced over at his brother who was holding their grandfather's hand, but looking at Shane. He looked back into his mother's eyes, and with a shaky exhale, nodded.

"ALL ABOARD THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS!"

"Oh!" His mom looked around, standing up quickly. "The train will be leaving soon, honey. We better get going!" She pulled him over to his grandparents.

Shane hugged his grandmother tightly. She gave a soft chuckle in his ear. "We will see each other very soon, dear. Don't you worry. I may have my hands full with this lot, but I'm not too busy to write." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You promise to write every day?"

She smiled. "Every day, dear."

His grandfather gave a great grunt as he picked him up and squeezed him tight. "Listen boy," he whispered in his ear, his beard tickling him. "You be kind to everyone you meet, even if they aren't kind. Even if you're the shortest person in the room, you will be the biggest man." He set him down and ruffled his hair, and Shane thought maybe he saw a tear trickle into his beard. Before he turned away, he felt a rummaging in his pants pocket, and looked down to see a chocolate bar sticking out. He gave his grandfather a sly smile, and he saw his grandfather give a sly wink back.

Before Shane could even say anything to his father, he was wrapped up into a tight squeeze. Shane hugged him back so tight his arms hurt. He felt his father's grip loosen after a moment, and his chin instead being pulled up to look into his father's green eyes. They twinkled in the morning light, wet with tears. "I have never been more proud of anyone," his father said, squeezing Shane's face in his hands. "-ever. You are the kindest, sweetest, funniest person I know. You're gonna be the best friend anyone could have. And I know you'll work as hard as you can. You don't have to be the smartest person in the room, and you don't have to be the most popular- you just have to be the most you you can be. Everything will work itself out.'

The train gave a great, loud blast of its horn. Shane looked over his shoulder in worry.

His father squeezed his shoulder, and Shane looked back at him. "You're going to be great, sweetheart." His father gave him another quick hug.

"ALL ABOARD THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS!!! DEPARTING IN FIVE MINUTES!"

His mother grabbed his father's arm. "We've got to hurry, the train is about to leave." His father let go and stepped back, smiling at him before going to stand by his grandmother.

His mother squatted down in front of him with a soft smile. Shane knew the look on her face. It was kind, like her normal face, but her eyebrows were furrowed up in worry.

"I promise I'll make eye contact, mum," he giggled. "Don't worry."

She smirked. "Oh, honey. I know you will." She brushed her thumb over his cheek. "I'm sorry you couldn't get to say goodbye to Whiskers."

He raised his eyes at her. "It's okay, mum. Really."

She exhaled softly, looking down at the ground for a second.

"Eye contact, mum," Shane whispered with a snort.

She laughed, looking back up at him with a smile. She pulled him into a hug. "My first baby," she whispered. "-off to school. I'm so proud of you, honey." Shane hugged her back tightly until she too stood up. "Well, you better hop on the train then."

Shane looked back at his family standing around. He didn't want to leave them... but they were all smiling and he felt, if for just a quick moment, a little less nervous. He looked over to his brother with a smirk, and grabbed his arm, pulling him into a one- armed hug.

"Miss you, mate," he whispered, and his brother gave him a quick smile before stepping back.

And so with a shaky breath, Shane turned around back towards the train. He looked at his family, and they all waved at him.

"Good bye, dearest. Be safe."

"You'll do great things, lad. You don't need to worry.

"I love you, honey. I miss you already!"

"You're going to have so much fun, sweetheart. Don't worry."

Shane smiled and stepped onto the train, walking to his compartment. Strix hooted loudly as he slid the door shut, and he patted the cage softly before rolling the window down and stuck his top half out. He waved and yelled back at his family as the train gave one last loud blast of its horn.

"Oh, dearest-" his grandmother yelled out to him. "I've packed you some food in your bookbag. Oh, and a little treat for you as well!"

"Thank you! I love you!"

The train gave a loud belt as it lurked forward. Shane had to hold onto the window as his family began to slowly fall away. He waved at them goodbye.

He laughed, thinking of one last thing to shout out.

"Hey, Toby!" he yelled, looking at his brother. "My room might smell like a cat, but it's better than your room... it smells like a fart"

His brother made a face of disbelief, looking back at their mum, before turning back to yell something at Shane. But Shane couldn't hear what he said as the train picked up more speed, and all he could do was wave as hard as he could as his family melted out of sight...

"I love you!" Shane shouted one last time, before he fell silent. He didn't put his head back inside the train until it rounded a corner and the platform fell out of sight, behind another building. He sighed, pulling himself back inside, and sat next to Strix.

He suddenly felt very sad, and very alone.

It wasn't for some time until he spoke, and when he did, he just looked at the cage next to him, where his owl looked at him with a tilted head.

"Well..."

He sat in silence for some time before he realized his arms were very sore from all the hugs he had given today.


End file.
